Leather was very expensive at the time of the man's death, which means he wouldn't likely have been buried wearing his boots.

The archaeologists said the boots “would have been ideal for walking out into the river and through the sticky Thames mud, so were perhaps waders.” The well-built footwear was reinforced with extra soles" and stuffed with an unidentified material to either make them warmer or improve the fit.

Researchers said they believe that indicates his death was premature, though the cause is unknown. They think he fell or drowned and was covered quickly by the ground as it moved with the tide.